Apparatus for operating upon composite substances.



A. FAY.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON COMPOSITE SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- I4, I916. I

Patented Oct. 24,1916.

@WWWW rm: NORRIS PETERS 0a., WASHINGTON, n. c.

A. FAY. APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON COMP05ITE SUBSTANCES. APPLICATIONFILED SEPT. 14, I916.

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SH EET 2- Mr mamas PEYERS m. PNom-uvua, WASHINGTON. n. c

A. FAY.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING UPON COMPOSITE SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.14. I916.

Ti 229 699 Patented Oct. 24; 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

ALPI-IEUS FAY, 01E LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING- UPON COMPOSITE SUBSTANCES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. ea, loin.

Application filed. September 14, 1916. Serial No. 120,178.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALrHEUs FAY, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Louisville, in the county of Jefierson and State ofKentucky, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Operatingupon Composite Substances, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel method and means tooperate upon a comparatively broad shallow body of a composite substancecontaining butter fat, with the vertical pressure, peripheral pressureand the peripheral surface of said body minimized; and the uppersurface, the lower surface and the peripheral diameter of said bodymaximized to allow said body to partake freely of undulatory movement byrotatable members with their thickness and their peripheral surfacesminimized and their upper surfaces and lower surfaces and diametermaximized; with the peripheries of said members moving in closeproximity with the inside walls of said vessel, the distance from thecenter to the periphery of said members being greater than the distancefrom the peripheries of the said members to the inside walls of saidvessel; said members rotating said body in the same direction as saidmembers but at a slow velocity compared with the velocity of saidmembers, said vessel having its walls converged with a broad width and ashallow depth to allow the substance in the vessel to rise and fallfreely to be acted upon to produce mechanical and chemical changesthrough its rates of vibrations in the substances, until the creamelements coincidently change into binominal quantities.

A further object of my invention is to simplify the construction ofapparatus of the above character, thereby making it more economical ofproduction; and also to make the apparatus readily disassembled forstorage and shipping; and to make each part so that when it is detachedfrom the other parts it will very readily be cleaned, so that the entireapparatus may be kept thoroughly sanitary in use. Y

My invention consists in the apparatus and the parts thereof, and in thedetails of construction and arrangement of such parts, as willhereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of an apparatusembodying my invention, but with the impeller and its shafts shown inelevation; Fig. 2 is a verti- 1 cal cross-section of the impeller andits hollow shaft; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the centralpart of the lower impeller member and solid shaft, showing how the pinholds them together; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cap on the top of thehollow shaft; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the bearingblocks removed from its impeller member; and Fig. 6 is a plan view ofthe impeller.

The vessel 1 for containing milk elements to be operated upon is of wideand low formation providing an ample base, so that the vessel is readilysecured in a substantial manner to a table or other supporting means.The wide and low formation of the vessel in addition to providing a firmfoundation therefor, prevents the substance operated upon therein frombecoming deep in proportion to its diameter. Keeping the depth of thesubstance shallow in proportion to its diameter is a very importantfeature in the satisfactory operation of my apparatus, and for thatreason I make my vessel for conaining a substance to be operated upon ofa wide and low formation, namely, the diameter being greater than itsdepth. This is ac cording to the method set forth and claimed in mycopending applications, Serial No. 7%,158, filed Jan. 25, 1913, SerialNo. 829,982, filed April 6, 1914, and Serial No. 11,355, filed March 1,1915.

The bracket 2 is mounted across the top of the vessel and secured to therim thereof as will be more particularly described hereinafter. A shaft3 is journa led horizontally in the bracket and has a crank 4 fixed onit outside of the bracket. This shaft has a bearing 3. next to the crankl, and over near the middle of the bracket has another bearing 3", andits end part has fixed on it next to the bearing 3 a bevel gear 5. Thesolid shaft 6 is mounted vertically and extends down into the vessel,having an upper bearing 7 and a lower bearing 8. The lower bearing 8 isin the middle of the main part of bracket 2, but the upper bearing 7 ison the top of an upwardly extending arm 7 which the bracket 2 has on theside of the shaft?) opposite from the bearing 8". A bevel pinion 9 isfixed on the solid shaft 6 and meshes with the bevel gear Thisconstruction of the bracket and combination thereofwith the gear 5 isvery compact, yet substantial, and affords protection against thecatching of objects between the gear and the pinion.

The lower side of the hub of the fly wheel 10 has radial grooves 10, andthe shaft 6 has an opening with a pin 11 passing transversely throughit, which pin has on one side a recess 11. When the pin is passedthrough the opening and lies within the grooves 10 of the fly wheel, andthe fly wheel bears downwardly upon the pin, the recess 11 will passdown over the sides of the shaft adjacent to the opening therethrough,so that the ends of the recess engaging with the sides of the shaft willprevent the pin from sliding laterally out from its position in theshaft, while the engagement of the pin in the grooves of the fly wheelwill cause the fly wheel to rotate with the shaft. Such a method offastening the fly wheel to the shaft is superior to the use of a setscrew, because it does not interfere with the centering of the wheel onthe shaft. This construction is disclosed and claimed in my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 11.352, filed March 1. 1915.

The shaft 6 extends down into the vessel 1 and carries an impellercomprising plane polygonal members 12 and 13 above and below,respectively; the upper one, 12, having a hollow shaft 14 surroundingthe shaft 6, and the lower one, 13, having suitable means tohold it upon the shaft. This impeller constrrction will be more ullv de ribed andcla med herenafter'. To properly c0- operate with the impeller, brakes10' are mounted in upright position against the opposite walls of thevessel 1, and held down in the vessel by the engagement of the bracket2withtheir upper ends. This bracket 2 has a channel 2 in the lower sidenear one end which fits over the rim of the vessel 1 and the clampingmember 17 engages with the bracket outside the vessel and extends underthe table or other supporting means 18, Where it has a clamping screw 19by which the bracket 2-is held on the vessel 1, and the latter is helddown on the supporting me ns 18. This means is disclosed and claimed inm co-pending application Serial No. 11.353, filedMarch 1, 1915. Theother end of the bracket 2 at the opposite side of the. vessel is simplystraight and fits into a clip 20 that holds it down on the rim of thevessel.

The upper impeller member 12 is composed of a flat, relatively thinpolygonal member,,p'referably a thin Wooden board, with hearing blocks21 fixed on its lower side along and substantially conterminous withalternate sides of this polygonal part and each preferably having itsends divergently inclined from its bottom up to its junction with thepart 12. The impeller member 13 is of similar polygonal shape andproportion with bearing blocks 22 similar to the blocks 21 on the upperside of this lower member along and substantially conterminous withalternate ones of its sides, so that the two members can be broughttogether inversely, and have the bottoms cf the blocks 21 raised on thetop of the blocks Preferably, dowel pins fit into registering openingsin the respective blocks 21 and 22, maintaining their alinement andpreventing rotation of the members 12 and 13 relatively to each other.

The lower impeller member 13 has radial grooves 2st in its lower side,and the lower end part of the shaft (3 has a transverse opening throughwhich passes a pin 25 that fits up into the groove when the member 13 isslipped down on the shaft 6 as disclosed and claimed in my co-pendingapplication. Serial No. 69,885, filed January 3, 1916.

The upper impeller member 12 has down through it an opening 26 with anannular depressed part 27 around it receiving the lower end of thehollow shaft 1-1, which is preferably also made of wood in twosemicylindrical sections, with their lower ends held together by thewalls of the depression 27, and with their upper endsheld together by acap 28 that fits down over them but has its central part open except fortwo opposite radially outwardly extending arms 29, which are connectedto a hub 30 fitting around the shaft 6, and having a set screw 31 thatthus clamps the cap down on the top of the hollow shaft. Thus the lowerimpeller 13, upper impeller member 12 and hollow shaft 14: are allclamped tightly together between the pin 25 in the lower part of theshaft 6 and the cap 28 above. They are thus caused to turn with theshaft f). but are readily disassembled therefrom and from each ether, toallow them to be readily cleaned, so that the entire interior of theapparatus may readily be kept in sanitary condition. With the hollowshaft It thus provided, if the impeller is rotated it acts centrifugallyand centripetally upon the liquid, making contact with the upper andlower surfaces of its upper and lower members, forcing the liquidradially outward between the two members and above them and below themwhile the periphery will present a substantially V-shaped formation.\Vith the liquid thus impelled outwardly, areas of reduced pressure willbe created in the central regions of the impeller, and air will be drawndown through the hollow shaft between the impellers. Vith the impellersthus formed and operated, the vibrations or undulations in the liquidaround the periphery will be somewhat of a serpentine formation.

For separating butter from either sweet or sour. cream, the liquid isplaced in the vessel to about the height of the heavy dotted line, withthe impeller about midway of the depth of the liquid as shown. It isimportant that the depth of the liquid above the impeller disk be nottoo great; otherwise the entrance of the air under atmospheric pressurewill be hindered. It is also important that the distance between theimpeller and the bottom of the vessel be not too great, because anyconsiderable quantity of liquid too far below the impeller will not beaffected by the aeration and other forces acting upon it, and will nothave the butter separated from it, but will merely serve as a collectingplace for the butter sepa'ated from the upper liquid. On the other handit is highly desirable that the impeller disk be of considerablediameter in order to obtain the greatest amount of centrifugal andcentripetal action without impact and to operate on as large a quantityof liquid as is desired. F or this reason the proper disposition of thebody of liquid will be such that its width is considerably greater thanits depth, as illustrated in the drawing, and it is for this reason thatthe vessel is made Wide and low so that it is possible for all theforces applied to the liquid to act upon it in a uniform manner. Themilk elements should not have their temperature too low or too high,about or Fahrenheit being the preferred temperature. Such temperature ishigh enough to allow the operation to be performed quickly, and it isnot so high as to cause the resulting butter granules to be too soft.With this method butter may be produced within from three to tenminutes. Perceptible accumulation of butter will practically all takeplace during the last 15 or (30 seconds of the operation. The butterwill form in granules, and then the residue may be drawn off from thevessel and the granules salted by agitation and aeration of brine withthe granules in the vessel. When the salting operation is completed, thebutter granules may be removed from the brine in the vessel, or thebrine may be withdrawn from the butter granules, and the granules thenremoved from the vessel, after which the granules are worked or pressedinto consistency for use. The efficiency of operation is such that fully90% of the but ter fat of the cream is removed, and butter of purity ofover 99% is obtainable, of firm texture and natural flavor.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances, a vessel, animpeller in said vessel comprising upper and lower flat, polygonalmembers with plane upper and lower surfaces, and bearing blocks secured,respectively, to the lower and upper surfaces of said members along andconterminous with alternate ones of the sides of said members, andhaving ends convergently inclined from said surfaces, whereby, when saidmembers are held together substantially concentric, said hearing blocksmeet and form alternate closed and polygonal open sides to the impeller,means for supplying air down to the space between said members, meansfor holding said members together as aforesaid, and means for supportingand rotating said impeller in said vessel.

2. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances, a vessel, animpeller in said vessel comprising upper and lower flat members withplane upper and lower surfaces, and bearing blocks secured,respectively, to the lower and upper surfaces of said membersalong'their peripheries in spaced apart relation, whereby. when saidmembers are held together substantially concentric, said bearing blocksmeet and form alternate closed and open sides to the impeller, pinsextending into the meeting bearing blocks, means for supplying air downto the space between said members, means for holding said memberstogether as aforesaid, and means for supporting and rotating saidimpeller in said vessel.

3. In apparatus for operating upon composite substances, a vessel, animpeller in said vessel comprising upper and lower flat, polygonalmembers with plane upper and lower surfaces, and bearing blocks secured,respectively, to the lower and upper surfaces of said members along andconterminous with alternate ones of the sides of said members, andhaving ends convergently inclined from said surfaces, whereby, when saidmembers are held together substantially concentric, said bearing blocksmeet and form alternate closed and polygonal open sides to the impeller,pins extending into the meeting bearing blocks, means for supplying airdown to the space between said members, means for holding said memberstogether as aforesaid, and means for supporting and rotating saidimpeller in said vessel. 1

ALPHEUS FAY. Witnesses:

CLARENCE Pnnnnn,

EDITH LOICHINGER.

(Iopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). G.

